Tips for Traveling with Young Children!

Summer is here...and it's time to start thinking about your next Summer Vacation! If you have children, then you are no doubt looking for some family-friendly places that will not only be fun for you, but ideal for entertaining the kiddies! Before you go away, I wanted to offer some helpful and useful tips that have helped me so much. Planning and preparation is key, so that you can enjoy as close to a "hassle-free" vacation as you can for you and your little ones. Here are my Top Tips for Traveling with Young Children!

HAVE CAR WILL TRAVEL:

• Drive to your favorite destination. So many great vacation destinations are within 1-2 hours away from you home, while others are 3-5 hours, such as Vermont, New York and Montreal, Canada. I have friends who make the 8 hour drive to Washington, DC each year, or some crazier (haha!) friends who plan cross-country family vacations to Yosemite National Park or the Grand Canyon in a big RV or Winnebago.  
• Driving is not only budget-concious, but convenient. You have the freedom to come and go as you please and you can pack your car to the rim with all of your luggage, baby gear, food and supplies. It's a great feeling to have all of your belongings at your finger tips. (Just be sure to lock all of your luggage and valuables in the trunk when parking, as to not attract thieves.)
• Day Trips are great fun! And, they are a quick and inexpensive way to get out of town for the day.

FLY THE FRIENDLY SKIES:

• Fly Non-Stop to your destination. Fly direct whenever possible...it will save your sanity! 
• Try to book seats close to the bathroom to avoid long trips to the bathroom. 
• Pack your carry-on bags with some of your child's favorite toys, a mini DVD player, snacks, bottles of milk or formula, extra diapers, baby pain reliever, and anything else you can think of to keep your little guy/gal entertained!
• Get through security faster. Most TSA agents will let families with young children move to the front of the security line...talk about VIP Service! 
• Once you are at the gate, families often can board ahead of the other passengers as well. So, be sure to take advantage of these great perks while you can! 
• Also, they typically don't charge you to check your car seat and/or strollers at the gate, which is a good plus.

RENT-A-CAR:

• Book a Rental Car when traveling to another city. That way you will be in control of where and when you go, and you can secure your child safely in the car. With young children, it would be very tricky or even unsafe to travel in a taxi cab, as you can't properly secure your car seat.
• Reserve car seats and/or booster seats for your rental car. That way, you don't have to lug your heavy car or booster seats with you. (If you have an infant, then you will most likely carry her in the carseat...so remember to pack the base as well.)
• Check AAA, Orbitz, Hertz, Expedia or your favorite travel site for the best rental car deals.

BOOK A HOTEL or RESORT:

• Always Do Your Research to find a family-friendly hotel or resort. You don't want to travel all the way to your vacation, only to find out it's an "adults only" hotel (which many boutique hotels are these days), or there are no amenities for children. 
• Reserve a crib or pack 'n' play for your baby, cots or rollaway beds for your young children, at the time of your booking. And, always follow up with a phone call a few days before you arrive, to be sure it will be in your room when you arrive. 
• Find out if there are any Kids Eat Free or other specials for the children's meals.
• See if there are Kids Clubs or babysitting services at your hotel or resort, if you are interested.
• Check Expedia, Orbitz, TripAdvisor or your favorite travel sites for the best recommendations for family-friendly hotels.

RENT A COTTAGE or CONDO:

• I have always enjoyed renting a cottage or condo when on vacation. That way, you have privacy, more space and freedom on your vacation. And, it is usually quite a bit cheaper than staying at a resort or hotel. We've rented cottages in Cape Cod, Florida, Maine and even an apartment in Amsterdam...just do your homework, rent from an owner that you trust, read reviews and read the contracts very carefully before signing and paying your deposit.
• Cottages are wonderful, as you have all the amenities of home, you can cook your own meals, have a porch or yard, walk to the beach, or even your own hot tub or swimming pool. 
• You will have multiple bedrooms, so you, the kids, grandparents or friends can all vacation together.
• Save money by cooking at home, BBQing or having a lobster boil in your own backyard. Buying your own groceries, alcohol and other snacks to eat at your leisure is so convenient.
• Visit VRBO, HomeAway or any other popular vacation rental sites to book your vacation. Be sure the condo or cottage allows children and/or pets, if bringing along the family dog. 

Most of all, no matter where you go...near or far...just remember to enjoy this special time with your family on your vacation! Just spending time together is is the most important thing...time is precious, enjoy every moment...and have a wonderful time! Here are some of our most recent, and most successful vacations!

Bon Voyage!

Mel :)

KEY WEST is THE BEST! :)

After an amazing wedding... it's time to move on to the Honeymoon! My husband and I stayed at Andrew's Inn in Key West for our Honeymoon from Nov 16-24, 2009. The inn was beyond our expectations! Perfectly located off the quieter end of Duval Street, Andrew's Inn is a hidden gem, and the perfect place for a couple to go for a romantic getaway!

ANDREW'S INN, Key West:Tom & Nancy (the owners) and Jorge & Blanche (employees) are wonderful, amazing people who made our stay fantastic. The daily champagne breakfast and open bar happy hour each night are worth their weight in gold! It not only saves money, but time...as you have something to eat then head off to explore the island! By 4pm, we were ready to head back to inn for a cocktail, beer or glass of wine, and a dip in the warm pool. Also, these were great opportunities to chat with the other guests, mostly married couples who were visiting for their 2nd or 3rd+ time to Andrew's Inn! That is always a great sign when ppl come back year after year... We will definitely be back! The first and last nights of our stay, we were in the Main house (in the large Roma room off the side with our own private porch and the Venezia right by the pool). Roosters would wake us every morning, and kitty cats welcomed us throughout the day. (Key West is inhabited with roosters, chickens and cats...which definitely add to the kooky charm of the island). The majority of our stay was in the intimate Mango Hideaway in their other property just across the street in the Eyebrow House. As we were on our honeymoon, we loved the privacy of our own studio complete with huge private deck...and JACUZZI! Nearly every morning and night, we slipped into the hot tub for relaxation...AHHHHH. it was heaven!
Just so you know, we loved Key West and Andrew's Inn SO MUCH...we extended our stay by 3 nights! We were supposed to head up to Miami and West Palm Beach for a few nights and said, No way, we are staying here in the laid back, tropical paradise of Key West! We will see you soon! :)


HOT INSIDER TIPS:
1) Rent the bikes offered at the Inn! It's about $40-50 dollars for the week...and well worth it! We biked every day, all around the main downtown area of the island. We tended not to ride at night as it was more busy with crowds...and well, drinking and biking aren't our thing :)
2) Go to Fort Zachary Taylor Beach: It is the best beach on the island! You can swim, snorkel, eat lunch...full bathrooms and showers too. It is on the Naval base and cruise ship area...and you pay $2.50 pp at the gate. You can also drive or take a taxi...I won't walk it...the road is too long. It is popular with the cruise ship guests too. There is a great snack bar which we had lunch at 3 days...excellent sandwiches for a snack bar. And, best of all, you can rent umbrellas and lounge chairs... it's $30 to rent for the day, but it is totally worth it... you deserve it! You can also rent snorkels and fins. The sand is white, but there is a bit of rocky coral on the way to the water, so bring your swim shoes or tevas to swim. We snorkelled and swam at least 4-5 times each day... there are 2 little sections of rocks with lots of fish to see...and the pelicans happily watch over you to be sure you don't eat their fish!

3) Go out on a Catamaran! We did the sunset cruise with Sebago Water Sports...and got a great deal on the full day Snorkel & Kayak Trip from Tom the best damn salesman in Key West (he's like Jimmy Buffet meets The Dude). It was a total blast, met lots of awesome ppl (like Erin & Christian from Kansas City!), ate fresh food & drinks (sangria, beer, wine, margaritas), snorkelled and kayaked with a guide through the mangroves. Totally unique and cool experience. We even had a "dolphin show" on our way back...about 6 dolphins showed off for about 20 mins...it was great!

4) If you are daring, do the 2 hour KEY WEST JET SKI TOUR around the island! You ride 2 ppl per jet ski (my hubby and me) and go 28 miles around the whole island for 2 hours! It is exhilerating, exciting, wild, and the BEST thing we did on our honeymoon by far! We loved racing around at top speed and splashing through the waves! Our guide Gilbert was awesome...and they sent us over to the bar next door for 2 for one cocktails.

5) You must have Breakfast, Lunch and/or Dinner at BLUE HEAVEN: It is in Bahama Village on Petronia Street, right off Duval St...authentic carribean and local fare, rum cocktails, mimosas, laid back and the best place on the island by far. (we had "Breakfast with the Roosters" one morning - get there early, and dinner later that week...both were excellent.)

6) Have a romantic italian dinner at La Trattoria (Duval St): white table cloths, as elegant as any restaurant in Boston or NYC...delicious food, great service...and then catch the live blues & jazz in the back lounge called VERGILIO's... a great night out!

7) Get drinks, lunch and/or appetizers at SLOPPY JOE'S (Duval St): It's the quintessential Key West bar...an ode to Hemingway. We loved the vibrant atmosphere...great bar food... the Sloppy Joe smothered nachos or fries are to die for! Live music was great. Friendly bartenders too!

8) Eat at Conch Republic Seafood Company (on the marina) - great Spinach & Cheese Baked Oysters, Calamari, Steamed Shrimp, etc...and get drinks & cigars at Schooner Wharf. It's a fun tiki bar right on the marina with live music all day (not the best for food though).

9) Go to the Half Shell Raw Bar (old marina) for great Grouper and Shrimp Po Boys and Mojitos! Nice spot on the harbor looking at all the nice private yachts....and get drinks and go swimming in Dante's gigantic pool! A great mid-afternoon place to go.

10) Visit Hemingway House: It's beautiful, historical and fun. Nice to get away from the hot sun and Duval Street party scene. If you love architecture, history, Hemingway novels, kitty cats and lush gardens... it's a must see! It costs $12 to get in, includes wonderful tour with funny guides... We spent about 2 hours there, just walking around. They encourage ppl to relax, pet the cats and take photos. Nice gift shop too. We bought a watercolor print of the house and stuffed cat for our nephew. :)
SUMMARY:Key West is alive and kicking! If you want to relax by the ocean or a pool...take a romantic sunset cruise or an adventure catamaran trip...chill out... eat some amazing seafood and key lime pie... meet friendly people, tourists and staff... go wild (day or night!) ... and just be in a warm, tropical paradise away from it all... KEY WEST is for you!

I have many more places I can suggest and photos to post...feel free to contact me. But for now...have a blast and explore America's own little tropical paradise... We love Key West!
(NOTE: See my post also on TripAdvisor.com)